Golden Hell
by theceruleandragon
Summary: There's one place in the world where Tenten truly feels she belongs, McDonalds. There she's found people to surround herself with that she never expected. Yet, on a seemingly normal day, Tenten finds herself being watched by a pair of white eyes she left behind. Maybe a part time job isn't worth it. AU story. Main couple, NejiTen with hints of SasuSaku, NaruHina and ShikaIno.
1. Welcome to McDonalds

**Summary: There's one place in the world where Tenten truly feels she belongs, McDonalds. There she's found people to surround herself with that she never expected. Yet, on a seemingly normal day, Tenten finds herself being watched by a pair of white eyes she left behind. Maybe a part time job isn't worth it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, obviously.**

* * *

The scent of grease filled the air as smoke raised from a vat in waves through the air. A silver haired man was putting a cap on the vent, looking over sternly, well as sternly as one could imagine behind a dark mask, as he lectured a blonde boy on why they weren't supposed to be burning the store down. This was the eighth talk this week on this subject, and it was Saturday after all.

The boy seemed apologetic as he rubbed the back of his head, ruffling the hair through the small open portion of his cap. It wasn't like Naruto meant to almost burn the place down, he just got too excited about filling the old fryers and it lit up in flames.

"Only Naruto could make a seemingly easy task turn into an instance where we nearly end up jobless," a pink haired girl leaning against the back wall mused as she took her finger off the middle button. Those words were only meant for the dark haired girl in the front of the store to hear. Otherwise she would have just yelled across the store.

"No kidding, he means well though. It's not often the grease needs changed before Kiba and Shino get here," the dark haired girl mused back, hitting the middle button on the headset to reply to her friend. "Who would of thought those two were actually useful when it came to maintenance."

"No one would have, Tenten. Not a single person."

Their conversation was interrupted by a single greeting, prerecorded, chiming into Tenten's ears as she leaned against the drink machine. Once the simple phrase, 'welcome to McDonalds, go ahead with your order whenever you're ready' finished, Tenten hit the according buttons on the register and repeated the total and the car drove off.

"Oh look, our first car in almost an hour," a blonde haired girl mumbled as she began to bag the order. It was a slow night for the fast food joint, something they were all happy for at least. It gave them a break from the usual shenanigans and rush they would normally account for tonight.

It was a Saturday afternoon, around three, and all of those who were on the floor had either just gotten here, or like Tenten, had been here for four hours now. It was halfway through her shift and the time had been dragging on and on since she had gotten here.

Once the food had been handed out, Tenten found herself handing out the drinks before she told the customer to have a nice day and wandered back to her original place against the counter.

"Who else comes in tonight, Ino?" Tenten called to the blonde, who was leaning over the counter looking at the simple floor plan for the evening. She hoped that one of the boys would come in at four, so she could get some help up front. It wasn't that she had problems handling it, there was just the fact that she hated being on the headset all night. The pushing against her head gave her a wicked headache to endure the rest of the evening.

"Shikamaru and Lee. It also says we have two trainees starting today. Joy," the sarcasm was evident in the girl's voice. Had Tenten's curiosity not piked at that, she might have been proud of the overly zealous girl who was known for her boy-crazed mind.

"Two newbies? Doesn't Kakashi know we're not the nicest bunch to introduce to trainees?" Tenten inquired, looking towards the blonde girl in a look of surprise. It wasn't that Tenten particularly hated newcomers, she was actually rather nice to them at the beginning. There was the simple fact that a lot of their new employees were usually rich kids who their parents made them 'earn their own money' as punishment, or fangirls brought in by one of their current employees. They hardly ever lasted, to the point that Tenten often forgot their names before they even walked out that door.

"The names weren't even written down. Annoying really," Ino said with a huff, looking back at the older girl. "I wonder if one of them will be attractive." Ino winked as Tenten groaned and put her head on the counter, pushing up the hat slightly.

"Sakura, why am I stuck up here with Ino again?" Tenten asked through the headset, getting a small laugh out of the other girl through the headset.

"Character building, of course," the pinkette recalled as she made her way towards the front.

Just then, Kakashi came up front as they noticed the three girls all chatting among themselves. He couldn't be bothered to break the three up, everything that could be done was so chatting was just a way to pass the time.

Right on cue, the door opened and Kakashi made his way out to the dining room, feeling the girls' gaze on him as he approached a few people. They were chatting quietly and Kakashi ushered for a small girl to follow him around the counter and to the back of the store.

"Newbie alert," Sakura joked as she watched the girl carefully try not to knock into anything as she followed the girl haired manager towards the back.

"Wait is that – Hinata?" Ino called out, to which the girl turned and looked towards her with a small blush and a wave. It was all the girl could muster up before disappearing towards the back.

"You know her?" Tenten questioned the blonde, who shrugged her shoulders and gave a grin.

"Sure we do, she's in our grade, after all," Sakura answered the question, looking towards the back. "She always kept to herself mostly. Hinata is pretty good friends with Kiba and Shino, actually. They're always together at school. You should know this, or are you always too absorbed in your books that you've never noticed?"

A blush crept up Tenten's face as she shook her head at the pink haired girl. "Not all of us can be natural geniuses like Sasuke, or you for that matter. I have to try to actually get scholarships."

That was what was funny about this after school job they all had. Everyone here wouldn't be friends if they didn't work here. Ino was popular and the most sought after girl at school, but her and Sakura had been friends since childhood. All in spite of the fact that Sakura was one of the brightest pupils in her class.

She wanted to become a doctor, but the hard work ethic was why she wanted to try balancing work and schooling now. Her family wasn't as well off as some of the others, so the schooling would be paid through working at the time. It was the same reason Tenten had gotten the job.

Through McDonalds, Tenten had befriended the two girls a year younger than her. That soon brought on the others that worked here. It was a small family, which would stick together no matter what. Only they truly knew what it was like to balance their sanity from their cooky coworkers and stressful clients that would walk in and out of the door on a regular basis.

"What's weird, is why would a Hyuga need an after school job?" Ino contemplated, and that last name struck a chord in Tenten's heart. Freezing upon hearing the last name, that was why the girl sounded so familiar.

"Maybe it's their way of getting their heiress to open up to the world?" Sakura answered as she glanced towards the back, neither girl realizing that they had opened up a whirlwind of emotions for the brown haired girl to the side of them.

Her eyes were wide as Tenten pictured a piercing white gaze and long ebony hair. No, he didn't phase her anymore, that was the mantra she repeated to Lee, and herself multiple times.

"Tenten, you look like you've seen a ghost," Sakura said softly, concern lacing her words as she stared at the girl in question. "Should we tell Kakashi you need to go on break?"

Suddenly, the feeling of her friend's hand on her shoulder snapped the girl out of her funk and she gave Sakura a small smile. "N-No, that's okay. Just forgot about a test on Monday," she frantically lied, unable to come up with a better excuse. "The possibility of failing might as well be like seeing a ghost," she joked, giving the girl a bigger smile.

"Sakura! Tenten!" A booming voice called out, which pulled their attention away from Tenten's problems for a moment. It was a flash of green for a moment before a boy with a bowl hair appeared in front of them. "How are the youthful blossoms doing on this fabulous afternoon?" He had a grin, that almost sparkled, on his face as he looked at the two.

"Lee, don't shout!" Tenten scolded the boy, punching him in the shoulder before crossing her arms. Had she not been used to the cheerful boy, she might have been extremely put off by him by now. The two had been friends for years, even before working here. It was the only friendship she had left over from her childhood and on. "You're going to scare our customers away."

He seemed to quiet up, for as much as he could, before scurrying off to chat up Naruto and Sasuke, the latter unwilling, on the backline. "Sometimes I swear he's like a kid in a candy store," Ino huffed, shaking her head towards the boy in the back.

"You should see him in an actual candy store," Tenten added, an amused smile on her face. "He's worse."

Just as they were going to continue the conversation, Sasuke came up to interrupt the girls, looking at Tenten in question. He held his hand out for the headset and she felt a rush of relief. "Kakashi wants you on break."

Nodding her head, Tenten grabbed her phone and made her way to the register to clock out and grab her bag, before heading outside to clear her head. The air was getting cooler as she sat down at the empty picnic table, her phone set across from her as she pulled out her notebook and began one of the many math problems on the page. Her book was lazily thrown open, slid further up on the table as she began to work through her homework.

"You're using the wrong equation," a voice broke the silence surrounding her and she felt herself freeze for the second time that night. No, this couldn't be happening to her right now. That voice had been one she had never forgotten, yet seemed to haunt her to this day. She didn't want to look up and see the proud smirk on the boy's face. It would be there, she knew that much.

It didn't take her long to give in to her curiosity, thus her head jerked up in surprise. There stood a boy in all the smug glory that was the Hyuga prodigy. She knew him by a different name, one that she hadn't uttered in almost two years. " _Neji_ ," her voice wavered for a moment before she found her ground. Soon, a glare replaced her shocked eyes and it was focused on the Hyuga boy. "What are you doing here?"

"Hiashi decided it would be best if we both learned responsibility, but really he wants Hinata to open up." Neji concluded, as if it were obvious. They were both going to be working here, that alone scared Tenten. She hadn't spoken to him in so long, she couldn't push away the part of her that missed it, missed him. Yet, she would never let him know that.

Tenten couldn't help but mutter a 'fantastic' under her breath before she thought of something that made her grit her teeth. "Does Lee know you're going to work here?" Tenten asked, not caring about herself but rather the boy inside that was like her brother. He had been just as hurt as she was, so how would he feel?

"Yeah," was all the Hyuga boy would say as he looked away from Tenten and back at her paper. He stared at it for a long time and Tenten could feel her skin shiver at it all.

"Well, just stay away from us and do your job." Tenten snapped harshly, shaking her head at him. "Unlike you, I actually need this job so just leave me be. Lee, too."

A grunt was given in response and that was the final straw for Tenten. She grabbed her things and made her way inside, heading straight for the back of the store to the crew room, wanting to put as much distance between the Hyuga male and herself. She could feel the worried stares on her back of Sakura and Ino, but she didn't stop her movements to explain. She knew they would be on her case tonight when they got off anyways, so what was the point?

Why, after all this time, did he manage to make her heart squeeze?


	2. You're Constant

**Author Note: Hey everyone, I am more than excited to share this exciting tale I have for you. I hope any questions you may have you'll leave in a review for me. I don't know how many times a week I will be able to update this, or how long it may end up being, but I'm just as excited as you may be to figure it out. This chapter might seemed a bit rushed because I wanted to progress a little and explain things that people may not know, term wise. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter and I hope to start on chapter three right now.**

 **Summary: There's one place in the world where Tenten truly feels she belongs, McDonalds. There she's found people to surround herself with that she never expected. Yet, on a seemingly normal day, Tenten finds herself being watched by a pair of white eyes she left behind. Maybe a part time job isn't worth it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, obviously.**

* * *

Tenten could barely hold her head up as she leaned down onto the table her books were sitting on. She only had a few hours once she was back from break. That could be handled, right? She was in drive thru anyways, there was no reason she would have to interact with either of the Hyugas. No, that wasn't fair to Hinata. The girl did nothing to deserve such harsh treatment.

Her cousin, on the other hand, had a whole lot of hurt coming if he thought she had forgotten about what happened. It hadn't been that long, almost two years after all. Yet, Tenten couldn't figure out if it was right to be holding a grudge after all this time. They were fifteen years old, for crying out loud! She could get through roughly six hours a day with him, right? Besides, who knew if he would actually be here long enough to have to worry. There was no reason to be upset with herself.

Hearing a shuffle near the entrance of the room, Tenten turned her attention to see an unfamiliar face, that she felt she knew deep down, that made her stop her self pity. Hinata was standing in the doorway, looking down at the floor. "I-I was told you could help set up the computer for the videos to watch. I-If you're too busy, I can ask Sakura-chan -" Hinata was clearly nervous about upsetting her.

Quickly shaking her head, Tenten pulled out the seat in front of her, where the computer sat on the table and gestured for her to sit. Starting right now, Tenten would not put the girl through anything just because of who her family might happen to be. From what she had heard from anyone who knew the girl, she was a sweetheart; she didn't deserve the hate Tenten felt for the prodigy.

"Which videos are you supposed to watch? Leave it to Kakashi to throw his work on someone else," Tenten mused, looking over at the girl with a small fracture of a grin on her face. The girl simply flushed more and looked down at the table.

"C-Counter, I believe," the mumble was barely audible as she avoided any contact with the girl. Nodding her head in response, Tenten began to click the links until the first video popped up. Tenten swore she heard a slight 'thank you' in response to which she couldn't help but smile at.

Her homework was not her most interesting point of the day, Tenten put the books away in her bag and began to fumble with her phone, playing a game about collecting cats or something. It was something to pass the time on break as she wasn't feeling so hot, thus eating was out of the question.

"T-Tenten-san?" Hinata's calm voice broke through the silence a couple minutes later. Giving her undivided attention to Hinata, she leaned on her hand and raised an eyebrow as she waited for the younger girl to continue. "Did Neji-nii-san do something to you? I-I saw you talking outside. You used to be his friend, right?"

"Don't worry about it," Tenten decided after a moment, not wanting to get swept up in the drama of the Hyuga family once more. She had enough to deal with. Brushing the bangs from her face, Tenten looked up at the ceiling, wishing for her break to hurry up and conclude. "He just tried to fix one of my math problems and I don't take to being corrected well. We used to be friends but sometimes people drift apart."

Even now she couldn't understand as to why she was keeping up with these tales of friends going opposite ways. That wasn't what happened, not in the slightest. Yet, she couldn't help but keep the girl in the dark. This was not her burden, it was between the two of them. They could handle it on their own time.

"N-Neji-nii-san is not as bad as he once was," Hinata admitted, knowing deep down where the hurt Tenten felt must have been. At one time, Hinata had been on the receiving end of his piercing glares. That, too, had been resolved a few years ago and it had seemed Neji would be okay. Or so Tenten and Lee originally thought.

The three of them had been friends for a long time, growing up together. Neji, at first, wanted nothing to do with the two of them. Yet, somehow, the two wormed their way into his heart and were the first to break down the walls of hatred he built up. How he hated the two of them for a long time, but Lee's determination to beat the genius eventually gave way to admiration in Neji's eyes. For a long time, Tenten didn't know where she fit into the companionship those two had.

* * *

 _The scent of vanilla filled her nose as if she was transported back to a time so long ago it hurt to think about. In the corner of the living room, you could smell a vanilla candle melting as the flame flickered, giving them the only light they needed in the small living room. They were fourteen and she had forced the boys, her boys, to come over for movies. Neji had exclaimed that it was a pointless way to spend their time, when they could be studying or practicing for a tournament coming up, but nevertheless showed up. Why? He had told her because she simply asked._

 _Lee had fallen asleep during the second movie, it was an action packed one about mutants trying to save the world from humans. She always liked fantasy like this, so they gave in to her demands. It was better than watching a movie aimed at teenage girls._

 _Despite the light snoring of Lee in the corner of the makeshift fort, something else the only girl insisted on, Tenten and Neji were curled up next to one another. They were close enough that if Tenten reached out, she could brush her fingers against the cold prodigy next to her. But, even her teenage hormones weren't enough to spend her into that sort of trance. That would be beyond embarrassing and Neji would never let her live it down._

 _"Hey, Neji," the bun haired girl called out softly, looking at the boy in question, who turned his head to look at her. "I can understand your friendship with Lee, but what about ours?" Her tone was soft as she wondered if she wanted to know the answer._

 _It seemed to linger in the air, Neji's eyes twitched as he tried to come up with an answer. "You're a constant in my life. Even when I think back to the beginning, I remember you," he paused for a moment, clearly thinking his words carefully. If there was something other than driven, Neji was always careful. It was a nice balance to the chaos that was her life. "You'll always be there."_

 _Tenten felt her heart speed up as a grin took over her features. "It's okay, Neji, you don't have to say anymore. I think I get it a little better now," her voice was soft, in avoidance to waking up their sleeping friend._

 _For the first time, Tenten felt her heart flutter for the boy sitting next to her. It didn't seem so frightening as she moved her hand to cover his, a mild blush taking over her cheeks. One fleeting squeeze and it retreated back to her lap as she turned her attention back to the screen._

* * *

Not that she would ever admit it out loud, nor would he, she swore she saw a break in his cool exterior, even for just a moment.

From then on the two had grown closer, the next coming as a blur to Tenten of emotions. Neji had been her best friend, even surpassing Lee in that aspect, and she never thought he would do what he did. Just thinking about all of it made her cringe.

Those thoughts couldn't be shared out loud, at least not here. In the months following Neji's departure from her life, Tenten found herself actually able to smile. Only at this part time job, though, it felt like she was understood. Then again, they all had the same purpose that she did: to better their lives. Maybe they all didn't have money like Sasuke did, Naruto had to work to afford to live, but they all had the same goals at the end of the day.

Interrupting her thoughts was the sound of someone walking towards the back before Naruto popped his head in and gestured to Tenten. "Weren't you supposed to be back like five minutes ago?" He asked before stepping into the small room.

Glancing down at the time, Tenten let out a soft groan of annoyance as she grabbed her phone and shoved it back into her pocket. Breaks always seemed to fly by around here. "Yeah, I got a little distracted," the dark hair girl replied to her friend, looking in the mirror to make sure the bun at the base of her neck hadn't fallen out. How she hated the one bun, it felt too foreign compared to the two she normally adorned on top of her head, the hat getting in the way. "Are you on break?" Tenten suddenly questioned the boy in front of her, with a tilt of her head.

The blonde gave a sheepish grin before nodding his head. "Yeah, but Sakura was worried about you. She was right, it's unlike you to be late from break."

"I was just thinking, getting lost in my head. Hey, do me a favor and answer any questions Hinata here might have, yeah?" Tenten nodded towards the girl, whose blush seemed to worsen from the way the boy looked at her. "She's new, you might know her since Ino and Sakura do, but she might have some troubles."

Naruto nodded his head and she could hear declarations of 'doing his best' as she walked towards the front of the store. Tenten could only assume Naruto was talking the poor girl's ear off, which was amusing to her.

Once she ventured to the front of the store, Tenten couldn't help but give Sakura a thankful glance as she typed her numbers back in and made her way towards Kakashi, who was still in the office. It was likely that he was in a chapter of his book and refused to put it down, unless a customer posed a question towards him.

Sure enough, Tenten found him with his head craned to read a part. "Hey, where do you want me?" She called as she leaned against the door frame.

"Window, Sasuke can stay on headset. I know what you're thinking, it's odd to have two of the crew trainers in one position, but Lee can handle back line. So save it." Tenten glanced at him as he almost read her mind before shrugging her shoulders. He knew all too well what she was thinking.

"Oh, Tenten, when Hinata is down, explain everything to her. Her cousin should be heading to the computer now. Explain it to him when he's done," Kakashi called, knowing that Tenten would have heard every word.

"I think Sasuke can handle that much. Make him earn his keep," she called back, her voice low as she never stopped her progression towards the front.

Slipping her way behind Sasuke, who was leaning with a smirk on his face and arms crossed, Tenten fell into her normal place beside him. It was lucky for her, to have Sasuke in the drive thru with her. There was very little that he would want to discuss, other than customer orders, and she was thankful for his silence. If anyone could pick up on her bad attitude towards one of their new employees, other than Lee, it would be him.

A very lazy hour passed with little customers when the Hyuga girl reappeared, even more flustered if possible. Who wouldn't be after listening for Naruto for all that time? He seemed to be having a debate in the back with Lee, who was chattering aimlessly with him.

"T-Tenten-san? I-I'm supposed to come talk to you?" The timid Hyuga began, which the older girl found absolutely adorable. There was nothing this girl couldn't do that seemed sweet and innocent.

"Yeah, sorry Uchiha, you're on your own," Tenten started, patting Sasuke on his back as she went around him and made her way to the scared girl. "I'm going to show you around, introduce you and all that before I set you up on counter." This wasn't her first time basically running the welcoming committee.

Once Hinata seemed to be paying attention, Tenten gestured for her to come follow her. They stopped at the counter registers first. "Ino, come say hi to Hinata," Tenten called from the counter, smiling as the blonde bounced over to the two of them. "Ino right now is on counter. Basically it's for the walk in customers. She's also in charge of cleaning the lobby and all that. It's where you'll start out. Kakashi wants you for customer service."

Ino waved at the two, starting a quick conversation with Hinata. After a few minutes, Tenten gave Ino a look and the blonde made her way back to cleaning the dining room before the impending rush that would eventually come.

Hinata followed her as she made her way back towards Sasuke. Said boy looked over and grunted before looking back at the screen and made the coffee accordingly. "Don't mind him, he's kind of an ass," Tenten mentioned as she began to explain. "This is front booth, or the second window. One person is on headset here, the other is just in the window to pass the food and drinks out. It's pretty simple, actually."

They paused for Hinata to ask any questions she may have before Tenten made her way down the side of the prep table and motioned to the guys loitering on the line. "This is what we call back line. The food is made on this table. Generally there are two people on the table and one on grill and fried products." Immediately, Hinata was bombarded by Lee, who was always happy to have someone new.

"Hinata-chan!" Lee made his way to the side they were on as he gave her his gleaming smile. "It's so wonderful to meet you! I see you have blossomed and became our newest coworker! I hope it is to your satisifaction!"

The girl just gave a helpless smile as Tenten shoved him back to the other side and shook her head with a smile. "Ignore him, he's been told about yelling in the store. He might be a trainer, but do not listen to him when it comes to that. Come on, I have one more thing to show you and then you can go get started with Ino," Tenten grabbed the girl's arm gently as she pulled her back to Sakura and began to explain the back window. "People pay here. Sometimes there is one person back here, doing both order taking and cashing out. Other times there will be two people for each thing. I know this place can be overwhelming, but I promise it's not that bad. Go see Ino, she'll train you for counter. I promise you're in good hands."

"W-Wait, what is a trainer?" Hinata questioned, looking at the ground as if she should know this.

Tenten smiled and leaned against the table for a moment before looking around. "It's the first form of management. We train people, usually, but sometimes the crew does it for us. Right now, Sasuke, Lee, and I are all trainers."

As if she knew what was going on, Hinata nodded her head and mumbled a thanks behind that blush of hers. Tenten returned with a smile, which fell the second the girl walked away. Only three more hours until freedom.

"Do I also get the tour?" A snide voice called from behind her, to which Tenten knew exactly what to do.

"Hey, Sasuke, give me your headset. It's time for you to earn your keep."


	3. Coffee Shop Woes

**Author Note: Just to begin with a small author's note, I would like to apologize in advance if I rambled a little. There were key points of the plot I wanted to bring into this chapter, just so it didn't feel like I was dragging out some of it. I would also like to thank everyone who has read/reviewed/followed/favorite this story, it really does make a difference to know people are reading it. There were a few questions in the reviews I wanted to answer for you guys to clarify any confusion I've brought. As for the ages of all the characters, Team Gai is seventeen while the Rookie Nine are sixteen. Spaceduck10 asked if I was basing the schooling off of American or Japanese style and I hadn't decided honestly, simply because I was sticking with keeping a lot of it out of the school to begin with. Also, yes Tenten was playing Neko Atsume, I'm glad you picked up on that. keroRiBBIT also wondered what the last chapter's title meant and it was in the flashback where Neji refers to Tenten as his constant, meaning that she's consistently there for him (or well was). I hope that clears up some things for you guys. One more thing, in the description I listed some of the couples I was going to go with, but if you guys want to see something else for the other characters feel free to place your thoughts. Again, thank you all so much. I'm done rambling now.**

 **Summary: There's one place in the world where Tenten truly feels she belongs, McDonalds. There she's found people to surround herself with that she never expected. Yet, on a seemingly normal day, Tenten finds herself being watched by a pair of white eyes she left behind. Maybe a part time job isn't worth it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, obviously.**

* * *

Despite the glares aimed at her, Tenten found the rest of the night pass by quickly. Soon, the time on the computer turned from 19:59 to 20:00 and she was off the clock. Passing the headset to Sasuke, who was still not talking to her, not that it was different from normal, she went back to ask Kakashi if there was anything left for her to do.

The night had gone without so much as a hitch. Hinata had been working hard learning the register, only having to be calmed down from nearly fainting four times, which Ino said was a record. It seemed those times always happened after Naruto interferred someway or another. Tenten made a mental note to talk to the girls about this tonight when they met up. This wasn't even the most interesting part.

For once in her life, Tenten was above Neji, which was enough to make her giddy inside. Neji, despite who he may be outside this place, was quickly put on fries to train. If that wasn't enough to make her laugh, fries being the mule work, his perfectly groomed hair was in a braid. No, that part had to be the most amusing aspect to the shift entirely.

Kakashi didn't look up from the computer as he began to check Sakura's drawer lazily, knowing there would be no calculating mistake in it. "Please tell me you're not still on my clock," he muttered towards the girl, which had Tenten mock salute him.

"Aye captain, I am not staying on any longer than necessary," the sarcasm laced in her voice traced the air as her manager seemed to have no other response than to shake his head at her.

"Teenagers," the man mumbled under his breath, which only gave Tenten more satisifaction before she went to the back to grab her things.

She had almost made her escape, the eyes still covering her entire back as Neji watched from his position learning the grill, much to the enthusiasm of Lee. He had pestered Kakashi once they slowed back down, wanting his 'eternal rival' to know everything he did, which was every part of the store. The silver haired man agreed if only to shut Lee up.

"Tenten?" Sakura called as she made her way up to the front to help Sasuke for the last hour she was here. "Ino and I were thinking of inviting Hinata to the coffee shop after work. It might help us all get to know her a little better."

The coffee shop was a few blocks away and had become an after work tradition for the three girls. The very first time that Sakura joined the crew, Tenten took a liking to this girl, inviting her to accompany her. Soon it became a usual thing, to the point where the late night workers knew their orders. Ino soon joined the two, becoming a girls only thing. Eventually, the younger girls gave in and the boys would sometimes drop by on their way home. This was just one of the little things that brought the night staff a little bit closer.

"Plus," Sakura started, walking closer to Tenten to speak in hushed tones. "You clearly have some things that we need to be filled in on. No horrible excuses like a forgotten test."

Tenten was rigid for a moment before she nodded. "Did you already invite Hinata? I mean, the Hyuga family is very strict, she may have to be home by a certain time -" Tenten began, instantly looking for a way out of this but by the look on Sakura's face, it might not work.

"Hinata already called her father, he said it was alright as long as Neji came to pick her up afterwards. Something about needing more friends, I didn't hear the whole thing. Ino did, though, so she can vouch for her."

Damn it, Tenten thought with a frown on her face. This was not working out in her favor at all. With a small sigh, the older girl nodded before looking towards the window for a moment. "I'll go home and change, then I'll be back in a bit. Plus, I don't want to worry anyone."

There was barely anyone to worry at home, to begin with. Her parents had left when she was a small child, her grandmother raising her since then. They had been young, her grandmother told her, and didn't know what it meant to be parents. The man who helped sire her had left when her mother was pregnant, then her mother for school. The woman never returned for the brown eyed girl. Tenten knew deep down that she was better off without them.

Ino seemed to overhear that and wanted to put her own two words in. "You better come back. None of that 'I fell asleep' bullshit." They all knew her too well.

"I got it!" Tenten snapped, rubbing her temples as she made her way around the counter. "Also, watch your language. A customer could hear you." This made the flaxen girl roll with laughter, which made her walk away as fast as possible.

"One hour, Tennie, don't be late!" Ino chimed as Tenten scurried out the door and began to hike towards the sidewalk.

Those two could be infuriating, but they meant well deep down. Those two were the closest things she had to best friends these days, excluding Lee.

Her hat was ripped off her head as Tenten took the time to get her things ready for the walk. Saving up for a car was her next priority, after getting her license to begin with. For now, she could make the fifteen minute walk to her home before and after shifts, just as school.

The earbuds kept her walk home a bit entertaining as she listened to the playlist for the day. Seeing as she walked everywhere, Tenten had different playlists depending on the day, so one wouldn't become too dull for her. After about five songs, Tenten found herself in front of the door, slipping the key into the lock and opening the door a sliver and sliding inside.

The sweet aroma of cinnamon lifted her into bliss, her grandmother reading on the couch. She walked over and gave her grandmother a kiss on the cheek and lounged beside her for a moment. "You'll never guess who started at work today," Tenten began, wanting her caretaker to give advice as necessary. "You remember my old friend, Neji? The one who I had a falling out with? Yeah, _he's_ the one who started."

"He always seemed like a nice boy. A little troubled at times, but nice," her grandmother spoke softly as she glanced up from the book she was reading. "The past should be left there. You're not the same girl you used to be. He might not be the same as well."

Tenten couldn't imagine her saying any less. This woman was so caring that deep down she knew there would be no other picture her grandmother could paint for her. "Whatever, speaking of the Hyugas, his cousin also started. So Ino and Sakura invited her to the coffee shop tonight. Do you mind if I go?" When she got the okay, she hugged her grandmother briefly before heading towards the bathroom. The smell of french fries was already filling the home, mixing horribly with the cinnamon candle.

It took a few careful moments of unwavering for Tenten to get her hair out of the bun it was braided into and run her fingers through it. The shower water was started and warming now, so she began to undress before slipping into the waterfall. After scrubbing her body and washing her hair, Tenten slipped out, never liking long showers if unneccessary, and grabbed the towel before heading to her room.

Her clothes were thrown on the dresser, half folded the other half just laying there. A simple hoodie and jeans were thrown on over a maroon tanktop. Her style was anything but girly as Tenten chose to stick to base colors and baggy clothes. Many times Sakura and Ino tried to make her seem a little more like a girl, but those two gave up over time. They accepted that Tenten would stick to her own style and they accepted her despite not being just like them.

Her hair was soon tied in the two buns on the top of her head, happy to have an old part of herself back. Sometimes she detested that damn hat, keeping her from wearing them the normal way. She even debated on cutting holes into the hat to fit them, but refused to look like a mouse of sorts. That's how the new hairstyle for work came to be. It also made it helpful in case anyone wanted to find her at school, they never knew what she looked like outside of it.

Once she told her grandmother goodbye, Tenten made her way outside, earbuds in once more as she began the walk downhill to the coffee shop. She had her backpack with her, assuming she could finish some homework while she waited for the others to show up. This might end up being the only time she had to finish everything she needed to.

The walk felt much shorter on the way, sending a text to Sakura to meet her there when they were done at work. They seemed to agree and Tenten made her way inside, the cool autumn air being shut out by the small heat of the store. She put her bag on an open table and made her way to the counter, where the normal guy was standing.

"Tenten! Are you getting your usual? Where are the other girls?" The man behind the counter asked, a smile on his face as he spoke energetically.

Managing to nod her head once, Tenten smiled and pulled out her wallet to pay, putting a tip in the jar once it was paid for. "They're coming after work. I'm hoping for some peace and quiet while I wait. You know how they can be."

"Oh yes, especially if you three begin talking about work. Tell me again, just how irritating Naruto is to work with?" the sarcasm was found in small traces of his voice as he teased the girl in front of him.

"Only if you answer a question. How many times can you catch things on fire before it's a pattern and no longer an accident?" the bun haired girl asked with a grin as she took her coffee and waved at the man. He was always one of her favorites that worked here. A few times he even offered to get her hired there. If things continued, Tenten thought the offer might be tempting.

The homework she had put aside for the last few days were beginning to pile up and Tenten found herself unable to bring herself to put it off any longer. Getting herself into the zone, she let the sweet taste of caramel invade her as she cracked her knuckles and began to work.

An hour or so passed and Tenten was finished with her math and most of chemistry when she heard two loud voices and a soft one coming into the door. Sure enough, she was met with the seafoam eyes of Sakura and gestured towards her. The Hyuga girl seemed to be blushing as her head was turned towards Ino, who was questioning her on how she liked work. About two minutes later and they joined Tenten at her table.

"So don't kill us, blame Ino-pig over here," Sakura started, which immediately made Ino interject.

"I'm not the one who said something in front of Lee!" The blonde defended herself as Tenten's eyes narrowed towards the two.

"The boys are coming later, aren't they?" The others merely nodded with apologetic smiles on their face. "You are aware that the only thing that compares to giving Lee alcohol is caffeine right? Or do I need to remind you of the pickle incident of June?"

"H-He promised to only drink tea," Hinata defended the boy in question nervously, which made Tenten soften. "L-Lee-san said he wanted to speak with you urgently."

"Hinata!" Ino snapped, shaking her head from behind the straw of her iced latte. "What did we say about the honorifics? We know you're proper, but we also want you to feel comfortable."

"Don't be so hard on her, okay? She'll open up more. They always do," the older girl told her friend as she moved her things off the table.

"Now that you mention it, you seem to have a lot of experience with the elegant way of life. Spill your guts, tell us all about why you weren't so excited to see tall, dark, and broody." Ino was prying and had it been about anything else, Tenten might not of shrunk away from the girl.

"Sasuke? I'm never excited to see him. He's not really my cup of tea. Judging by the way Sakura is gulping down her chai, you might want to question her instead of me," the bun haired girl tried to deflect the conversation off of her and onto Ino's other favorite conversation: Sakura's undeniable feelings for the Uchiha.

"Don't you dare bring me into this," Sakura said from her seat, reaching over poor Hinata to punch Tenten on the arm.

There was no way that Tenten was going to get out of telling them about it. She sighed to herself and wondered where to begin. Should she really get into too many details of the past? It had a lot to do with Lee, as well, so was it her place to tell them?

"Well, it started when we were eight years old," Tenten began and then went into details about how they were always bugging the quiet kid at the dojo.

* * *

 _Maito Gai had been their instructor, who was to this day. It was thought from the beginning that Lee had everything needed to be specialized at martial arts. Yet, there was one person who would always bring Lee down: Neji Hyuga. There was nothing that Neji couldn't do properly, often pummeling Lee and soon herself. While Tenten was more the type to hold grudges, Lee refused to let him get the better of him. All day and night, Lee would train to make sure he could hold up against him. At the same time, Lee forced himself into Neji's life, wanting to befriend the boy as well as beat him. Soon enough, Tenten was forced to as well. It took at least a year of constantly being by the Hyuga's side to be considered friends. Neji slowly began to open up, in his own way, which made Lee happier than ever. Tenten enjoyed seeing her best friend happy and followed suit. Still to this day, she regretted none of it._

 _The memories shared between the three were some of the greatest she had. That was something she wouldn't trade for all the heart ache he put her through._

 _"We were okay," Tenten continued, noticing the three girls looking at her. It was all so nervewracking and she couldn't help but glance down at the table. "Until about two years ago, when we were fifteen. Neji was told he had to attend a party for his uncle, which he asked if he could bring guests to. In order to get him to cooperate, Lee and I were allowed to attend."_

 _Tenten glanced towards Hinata, wondering if the girl knew which party she was speak of._

 _They had all met up at Tenten's apartment, her grandmother helping her look presentable for the party. Neji had warned them that it was a formal gathering, so a dress was necessary. She didn't like it, the way it felt silky against her skin was enough to keep a permanent scowl on her face. It had fallen to her knees and had been a midnight blue with a white ribbon. How she loved and detested that dress now, but the way the Hyuga's expression changed ever so slightly, had made it all worth it._

 _Neji had arrived early, something she had expected, and they took their time waiting outside on the small porch for Lee to barge in. She could still feel the way his breath fell on her skin as he brushed the small tuffs of hair falling from the side braid behind her ear. At the time, she couldn't remember wondering where Lee was, or why Neji hadn't gone to get him first before stopping by to grab her._

 _Then the feeling of his lips upon hers had made her soar. They were soft, yet reassuring, telling her that it was alright. Neji had always been kinder to her, since making up with his uncle, but Tenten didn't give it much of a thought to anything but hormones._

 _It had been a rush of emotions that Tenten wasn't sure she wanted to stop, until there were sirens and lights everywhere. They hadn't made it far on the sidewalk before she felt the a feeling of dread overcome her. Something wasn't right, Lee was always on time. They had been barely a block from her house when she saw a sight that still was engraved into her mind._

 _Lee was motionless on the street, a car swerved into a telephone pole. She could remember instantly breaking into tears as she watched the stretcher being pushed into the ambulance. The driver hadn't had their license for over a month, the report said, and they weren't watching the road. Lee was crossing the street when he was struck down. The police officer said that Lee couldn't have been fast enough to jump out of the way, thus the situation they had. He had been unconscious and Tenten wasn't sure why he hadn't come with Neji._

 _Still, in the middle of street while she watched Lee be taken away, Tenten had to blame someone. She had turned on Neji, shoving him in anger. It had all been anger. "You were supposed to pick him up! We made an agreement!" Her voice had been shaky as she took everything out at the Hyuga boy in front of her._

 _Why hadn't Neji been there? Lee must have been so excited to meet his family, to prove everyone who thought Neji was emotionless, that he couldn't have been paying attention. She accused the boy in front of him for not taking care of their best friend. Yes, it was the driver's fault, Lee's too, but she couldn't blame him right now. Neji didn't even seem to care now._

 _The question had slipped out of her lips before she could even think it through. Tenten shoved him harder as the words flew from her. "If it had been me, would you be standing there like this? Do you really care so little for us? Stay the hell away from us."_

 _She never waited to hear his answer, stalking back to her house to have her grandmother take her to the hospital. That was the first time she turned her back on the Neji._

* * *

By the looks on Sakura and Ino's faces, Tenten knew they hadn't expected much from her. Tenten waved her hand in front of the closest one, Ino, and tilted her head. When she seemed to respond, Tenten immediately took a drink from her cup and shrugged.

"You asked for it, so I told you. My track record with him is shotty at best," Tenten pointed out, trying not to make a big deal out of it. Just talking about it had made the girl want to go home and suppress the urge to become that crying girl again. Yet, she knew she couldn't. There was a conversation she had to have with Lee and she refused to run away from it. If there was going to be any moving on, she needed to own up to her part in all of this.

"That's not just a bad track record, Tenten! Everything is making sense," Sakura seemed to have a cool head about all of it, despite the way her green eyes seemed to be wider than normal.

"A-Actually, I think I remember when this happened," Hinata finally spoke, which surprised the entire table of girls. "N-Neji-nii-san lives with us and he wasn't himself for a long time after that."

Tenten could only imagine the guilt Neji also put himself through because of that night, but she didn't want to admit that out loud. It was bad enough she had any sympathy at all. Lee could have died, that was scary enough. Yet, Tenten couldn't get it out of her head how he could just abandon Lee like that. Why would he? So he could have a few moments alone with her? They had been alone all the time! It just didn't make sense to her.

The bell chimed again and Tenten heard their voices before she had to see them. Lee and Naruto were bickering with one another about something Kakashi said. It was hard to interpret between the screeching of 'youthful sacrifice' and all that.

"What are you two going on about?" Sakura yelled towards the boys, her anger rising. Yes, she also was making a scene in a public place, but Tenten wasn't about to tell her that. The fury was the last thing the older girl really wanted to deal with.

So as Naruto made his way towards the table and Lee to order their drinks, Tenten stood up and made her way over to them.

"Hey, can we talk?" Tenten spoke quickly and quietly, wanting to get this conversation over with. She knew what it was going to be about, which made her irritated all the same.

"It's about Neji. You're acting rather harshly towards him. What would Gai say about your unyouthful approach?" Lee always had to bring their old instructor into it. That wasn't surprising, though, as Lee still took classes with the older 'green beast'.

"What? You forgive him for everything that happened? Lee, you could have _died!_ I watched you struggle for months to learn how to walk agai-" Tenten began to lecture him before the bushy browed boy spoke again.

"I was never angry with him. Practice ran over that night, so I called Neji and told him I would meet him at your house. Honestly, I never even saw the car pull up in front of me until it was too late. I had a judgment lapse and almost paid the price, but Neji didn't do anything wrong. I wouldn't lie to you like that," Lee finished before he turned to order their drinks, even buying more for the girls at the table.

Letting that sink in for a moment, Tenten had to admit that she couldn't really deny that it was a long time ago. Lee was like her brother, the oldest friend she had, and watching him work hard for months to get back to everyday life had been rough. Neji could have prevented it, Tenten always thought, he wouldn't have let anything happen to Lee.

Then she realized why she blamed Neji. It was because she knew that he cared for Lee just as she did. The boy with large eyebrows and a hairstyle from the past was as much of a brother like figure for the Hyuga prodigy as he was to her. Had she been unjust to him all this time? Maybe, just maybe, Lee and her grandmother were right. It was time to put the past behind her.

She wouldn't immediately befriend the boy again. Tenten couldn't bring herself to do that right now, but she could be a little nicer to him. If not for his sake then for Lee.

"Alright, you win," Tenten conceded, looking at him for a moment. Quickly, she grabbed the drinks from him to help carry, walking towards the table to look at her friend. There was a small smile on her face. "I'll be nice to the Hyuga, but I won't like it."

Those words would come to bite her in the ass later.


	4. Roundhouse Kicks to the Heart

**Author Note: This chapter isn't as long as some of the others. I was going to make it longer but where I finished writing felt like a nice conclusion to the chapter. The number of chapters in this story hasn't really been decided, but I have a plot mapped out in my head, even if it seems sloppy in writing.**

 **Summary: There's one place in the world where Tenten truly feels she belongs, McDonalds. There she's found people to surround herself with that she never expected. Yet, on a seemingly normal day, Tenten finds herself being watched by a pair of white eyes she left behind. Maybe a part time job isn't worth it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, obviously.**

* * *

"How did you two even manage this?" a voice could be heard, clearly annoyed. Lee had been clocked in for about two minutes when she heard a giant crash in the back. Their usual manager, Kakashi, was on his break, leaving Tenten and Sasuke in charge of the store. It was fine until the younger green beast of Konoha had arrived.

Originally, Tenten told Sasuke to go check it out, but he ignored her and walked away to speak with Sakura. He had muttered something along the lines of 'not getting paid enough for this' which made Tenten's eye twitch in irritation. He didn't technically even need the job! The surviving Uchiha kept the job so he could remain in his family home, the state allowing him the emancipation.

So now, she was standing at the back register, glaring at Lee who was trying to keep the screen of the monitor from falling off the hinge. Neji was leaned against the wall, glaring daggers at their mutual friend.

"Neji tried to sneak up on me! So, _naturally_ , I tried to roundhouse kick him and hit the register!" Lee explained, as if this was something that anyone would have done. The customer sitting at the window, holding their card out was just as irritated as the other two employees were.

"Naturally," Tenten said sarcastically, smacking Lee upside the head. "Kakashi is going to kill us when he gets back here," she exclaimed, rubbing her temples. "Neji, why the hell did you sneak up on Lee?" She turned on her heels, accusing the Hyuga as his glare shifted to her.

"He asked for a bottle of water, so I required it and brought it back. I'd hardly call that sneaking up," he defended himself cooly, not even batting an eyelash.

"You two are the reason why I'm never having children," Tenten muttered as she closed her eyes for a moment and tried to figure out what to do in this situation. "Shikamaru! Go see if Kakashi is in the crew room!" Tenten called towards the backline, needing someone to find the man that was actually equipped to handle this.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he did as he was asked. Tenten resisted the urge to strangle him and looked back at the other two.

Soon enough, Kakashi was following Shikamaru from the back and walking over to them. He began to mess with the monitors, groaning before he pulled out the phone and began to contact the support team.

Tenten made her way towards the front, shaking her head at the two boys. Had she still set in her anger towards Neji, she would have believed Lee no matter what. This whole 'being nice' to him was something that Tenten still was uncomfortable with. She had yet to hold a long conversation with him, deciding that the little acts of kindness she had done towards him. In the last several days, Tenten had asked him about his classes and even helped him when he asked a question. They weren't like they used to, but Tenten no longer felt like she was going to run away when he showed up.

Sakura and Ino looked towards the older girl as they tried to figure out what was going on in the back. Tenten shook her head and muttered to them before making herself a tea. "Don't ask. Those two are going to be the death of me."

"What do you think we're gonna do? We can't run both lanes with one of the registers down," Sakura asked from the counter, which Sasuke just scoffed at her. He seemed to have a way to get around it.

"It's simple, we just have both headsets up here instead. It isn't hard to understand that someone will just take orders up here while Lee cashes out back there." Sasuke told them as if it was common sense, which it might have been. Tenten swore up and down she would have thought of that had she not been so irritated.

"Are you offering to be crammed in that small drive thru with Sakura, then?" Tenten inquired innocently, however the gleam in her eyes said he was going to regardless of his answer. Ino, amused by all of this, whistled at the two before a groan of 'troublesome woman' was heard from the backline.

"No one asked for your opinion, Shikamaru!" Ino screamed, leaning up on her toes to look over the small metal shelf towards the boy. Shikamaru was leaning against the freezer, eyes closed as he seemed to be thinking to himself.

Shikamaru groaned and opened one eye to look at Ino before shutting it. "This is too much work. Dealing with your mouth, that is."

That had Ino shouting things that not even Sakura could make sense of. Those two were too much for one another. Tenten was starting to lose her cool.

"Would you two shut the fuck up!?" Tenten finally snapped, not even caring if there were customers inside. "You're stressing me out more than Lee and Neji were!" Her head was beginning to throb and she almost wished Choji was here to keep the peace for a little while longer.

"Tenten, why don't you go take a small walk. Cool down a little?" Sakura suggested, waiting to get her head bitten off. The rose haired girl was surprised when her friend nodded and walked out the door.

The night would go on forever, Tenten feared, as she began to walk around the building, picking up the trash as the gentle breeze hit her face.

* * *

Several hours later, the clock read 22:00 and Tenten was clocking out without a single word to anyone. Once she had calmed down, Kakashi explained what they would do until someone could come down the next day to fix the monitor. It had been handled, but it didn't mean that nagging feeling inside her went away. If Lee had paid a little more attention none of this would have happened.

"Stupid boys," Tenten muttered as she scrolled through her phone. Her small walk home would give her all the time she needed to get her thoughts together and remember that days like today would be fine tomorrow.

"Tenten," a voice stopped her in her tracks as she looked around for a moment. Neji was leaning against his car, arms crossed, as he gestured for the girl to come to him.

Putting her irritation behind her, Tenten made her way towards him and stood awkwardly, shifting from one foot from another. "What do you want, Hyuga?" The irritation was there, but her eyes soften as she noticed his. ' _Be nice,'_ she reminded herself, remembering the promise to Lee.

"Get in," he opened the door to the passenger seat, waiting for her to comply. "I'm going to give you a ride home."

"Thanks, Neji, but no thanks. It's only a fifteen minute walk, I'll be okay," Tenten wasn't sure why he was insisting all of a sudden, it was very unlike him. However, the look in his eyes told her why. They clearly said 'we need to talk'.

"It's late and it could be dangerous to walk home. Get in," he told her once again and the fire inside her flickered.

Clicking her tongue, Tenten shook her head once more and gave him a cocky smile. "In case you were unaware, I did take almost a decade of self defense classes. I think I can manage. Plus, I keep a couple of knives in my bag," she held the cloth up for emphasis.

Suddenly, as if all the air was knocked out of her, she was pinned between him and the car. Her bag was yanked from her as he towered over her, bag in the air, while his other hand held her wrists above her head. "As I suspected, you're rusty. It's been, what, three years since you've last honed your skills."

A gasp escaped her lips as she struggled against the boy. She should have figured she wouldn't get away. When they would spar, there were few times that she could take him down, and that was several years ago. "Let go, Neji, you're using your size to your advantage."

He grunted and slackened his grip on her wrists for a moment before looking her dead in the eyes. "I'll let you go. However, you're getting in the car." He let her go and opened the door again, which made the girl glare but she crawled in nonetheless.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not taking me straight home?" Tenten asked, sliding down further in the seat. "You know, tomorrow is only Tuesday. I can't afford to be falling asleep at school. I have a lab in chemistry and Lee needs all the help he can get. He's falling behind and I'm his la-"

"Tenten," he interrupted the girl, giving her a glare. "Shut up."

She huffed and crossed her arms, holding the bag to her chest. "Where are we going?" There was no way she would win this argument and Tenten always knew when the raise the white flag.

"Just driving," he said simply as he put the car in gear and backed out of the parking spot. His eyes seemed focused on the road but she felt the on her every now and then.

Several minutes passed as Tenten watched Neji turn down random roads. They hadn't spoken to each other since leaving and Tenten wasn't sure what he wanted to even say. Her eyes drifted towards the clock on his dash and counted the minutes that went by as they drove.

About fifteen minutes had passed before Neji turned off a road and parked in a parking lot. It was a park, one she remembered all too well from their younger years. It was closer to the Hyuga Manor than her own residence. That was his game plan, to take her somewhere that she couldn't just walk home from.

Tenten shifted in her seat and finally turned her body to face him. That was when she met with his lavender gaze, eyes so light they looked white in retrospect. How long ago had it been since she found herself lost in those eyes? They could almost see right through her. Now, it had her antsy rather than melting as it would have not too long ago.

It seemed like eternity had passed when Neji finally found the words he was looking for. "You don't have to be kind towards me for Lee's sake."

That made her go stiff. So he still knew her well enough to know that had originally been her intention. Now that she was here, alone with him, her mind fogged as she tried desperately to hold onto the grudge she had for so long. Yet, Tenten searched the eyes pouring into hers for a reason to hate him. Rationally, he did absolutely nothing wrong.

"Why did you kiss me that night?" Tenten blurted out, her face flushing at the stupidity. She meant to tell him that it wasn't for Lee's sake. That she actually wanted to put everything behind her, since they would be working together again. She had spent the last year or so ignoring his existence and now they would see each other a lot. There was no point in staying angry at him. It drained her beyond the point of return.

Neji's eyes searched for the question that she was referring to and Tenten knew exactly the one she meant. He closed his eyes for a moment and seemed to be in thought again. Always careful, that had to be the motto of the Hyuga clan. Hinata seemed that way as well, from what she knew of the girl.

"Never mind," she began frantically, trying to retrace her words. "That doesn't even apply to the matter at hand. We're talking about now not then." Why did she even care about that time? It was so far in the back of her mind.

While he was still in deep thought, Tenten took the opportunity to push herself back against the door. Maybe she could walk all the way home from here. It wasn't that far away from her home. She could make it back by midnight and get six hours of sleep before school.

"I don't recall properly thinking in the moment. I had wanted to, so I did it," Neji finally answered her question, the cool attitude back once more. She assumed it was the last thing that he had expected her to want to talk about, but it was something that always perplexed her. "I remember the way the blue silk slid across your skin and how I wanted to be the silk, The look in your brown eyes as you rambled on and on; you told me that no one better get used to seeing you in a dress." That made him smirk, looking over at her with a knowing look.

Tenten's blush grew as she felt the heat run to her heart, challenging it on what could go faster. "Shut up, I hate that dress," she muttered looking at her hands on her lap. "I think you were just a hormonal teenage boy. You still are."

That brought a chuckle from his lips, shaking his head at her. Things seemed, for a moment, like they used to. Only Lee or herself could cause such a commotion out of the usually level headed boy. It only lasted a brief moment before Neji sobered up and closed his eyes again. "You know, for a long time I didn't blame you for the anger. Blaming me was easier than blaming him. I also blamed myself, for a long time. Lee was the first person who wanted to be my friend. Not because I was a 'child prodigy' or because I was a Hyuga, just because of who I was."

Tenten hadn't heard this from him before. Her gaze reached him, his head turned out the window. It was clear this was hard for him. Neji wasn't great at emotions to begin with, but to admit his own for their mutual friend tugged at her heart strings. For once not a single sarcastic remark came to her lips. Instead, she leaned over and let her hand brush his back, comforting him for a brief moment. This man next to her reminded her of the night in her living room, one of the first times she had remembered him opening up to emotions.

"As time went on, I saw you at school. You were always so happy around Lee, encouraging him to try his best after the incident. The people you began to surround yourself with, our coworkers, always said how happy you were. But I can see you blamed yourself as much as you blamed me." Neji continued, his white eyes falling upon the hand on his shoulder before meeting hers.

That struck a nerve inside of her. His eyes still could read her movements after all this time. He knew what she didn't even know until this moment. She blamed herself more than she did him. Anger towards herself welled inside and she tore away from him. Tenten hated herself more than she hated him. This took a while to process inside of her.

They were silent for a brief moment before the silence was broken. "It's getting late. You should probably take me home."

Neji only needed to nod once before they were pulling out and driving back the way they came. The silence was deafening as Tenten mulled over her thoughts. Another fifteen minutes had passed and they were at her house.

Without a single word, Tenten got out of the car before she made her way towards the sidewalk. Something inside of her made her stop as she turned back around to face the car. Instantly, Neji rolled the window down. Approaching the window, Tenten stood so close she could smell the cinnamon on his breath. "I'm not just being nice because Lee said to. I'm trying my hardest to go back to the way things were before all this. I just – I can't."

They blinked in unison for a moment before Neji smirked and Tenten's eye twitched for the third time that night. "Then we'll start over. I'm Hyuga Neji," he held his hand out the window and Tenten almost mocked him for it.

Placing her hand in his, she felt his fingers wrap around hers as they shook hands. _"Tenten."_


	5. Way Back Down to You

**Author Note: This chapter got a little out of hand, I apologize in advance. Things are progressing and this is also going to open up the different pairings as well.**

 **Summary: There's one place in the world where Tenten truly feels she belongs, McDonalds. There she's found people to surround herself with that she never expected. Yet, on a seemingly normal day, Tenten finds herself being watched by a pair of white eyes she left behind. Maybe a part time job isn't worth it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, obviously.**

* * *

Leaves crunched under a pair of white converse carefully as the girl wearing them spun around purposely attacking the colorful patches. September had passed by rather quickly and it was already the beginning of autumn. This was the older girl's favorite season and it was now in full swing. Tenten couldn't even mind being forced into a shopping trip with the girls if they bought her cocoa. Both Ino and Sakura took that with a grain of salt, ignoring her childish antics while Hinata was stifling a small giggle.

"We have to figure out what we're doing for Naruto's birthday," Sakura pointed out, sitting at a picnic table watching Tenten's movements. For someone who was a self-proclaimed tomboy, she had grace that even the pink haired girl wished she had sometimes. "You know he'll never ask to do anything but with him having no family ties... I feel like it's our job as his surrogate family."

Tenten turned to Sakura and shrugged her shoulders. "Did you think to ask him what he wanted to do?" Last year was the first year they all began to work together, a year after Lee and Tenten had started, and they made sure to give Naruto a birthday party he never got growing up. How could they top the elaborate party they threw him last year?

"Well, maybe the key is not to do something like we did last year? We could all go out to dinner or something and then do something he would enjoy. The little things seem to always make him happy." Ino pointed out, tilting her straw towards Hinata, who was majorly blushing at the whole conversation. "Hinata, what do you think Naruto would like to do?"

The Hyuga heiress and the blonde boy had been talking a lot at work. Thanks to the quick instructions of the three girls surrounding her, she was less likely to pass out now. How that boy didn't pick up on how flustered she still got around him Tenten would never know. Just now, mentioning his name had the girl about seven different shades of red.

"W-Well," her white orbs looked away from the three of them, glancing down at the table. "He mentioned something about wanting to go to a haunted house?"

Ino seemed to brighten up at this idea, it was something that they all could do together and would make Naruto happy. "That's brilliant, Hinata. I really think Neji has some competition for the title of Hyuga genius!" The gears in the younger blonde's head was turning as she began to type something in on her phone. That never ended well in past experiences.

"Or we could just put a giant bow on Hinata. I'm sure that would be a great birthday present," Ino continued and it was almost like the indigo haired girl wasn't breathing. "What? It's cute how Naruto is the first person to greet Hinata and always wants to be around her. It's about time he got over Sakura considering he had zero shot with her while Sasuke is still lurking around."

"Ino, quit teasing Hinata before she goes into cardiac arrest. I'm not a doctor yet, you know!" Sakura scolded her with a glare towards her best friend.

Tenten groaned and continued playing with the leaves on the ground. "I thought the point of 'a day off' is so I do not play babysitter. You two quit bickering and we're not giving Hinata to Naruto as a birthday present. Get your head out of the gutter, Yamanaka. Besides, I've had my ass handed to me by Neji before and how do you think he'd react if you gave his 'precious baby cousin' to the 'loudmouth blonde'?" Tenten gave her best Neji impression when describing the two in question which made the other girls erupt in giggles.

"Only you could get Neji's attitude down flawlessly. Considering you've been spending a lot of time with him. Don't think we haven't noticed you getting into his car after work every night," Ino teased her, her baby blue eyes were glossed over with amusement. "I thought you hated him."

It was true, Tenten had been getting rides home from Neji every night. That was only because he expressed his 'concern' to Lee, who agreed she shouldn't be walking home alone that late. Soon it was either have Lee blabbering to her about her 'youthful innocence' or take a ride from the Hyuga.

"Hate is a strong word, Ino. I never hated him, I just wished I could throw him into a volcano sometimes," Tenten said sarcastically, shaking her head. "Besides, Lee asked me to be nice and I'm trying. I'm sure he would also give you a ride home if you were walking." That was never the case for Ino. On the off chance that she would have to walk, Shikamaru would give her a lift considering they had been neighbors for years.

"Tenten, just admit it. You like Neji," Ino began, wanting to taunt the girl into submission. The bun haired girl was surprised Ino hadn't already tried to play matchmaker. It wouldn't be the first time she tried. Sakura knew this deal all too well. She always thought she knew best when it came to these things, but Sasuke's refusal to budge had given her the very first failure.

"Ino, stop it. Tenten is just befriending Neji again. Leave it be," Sakura said, saving the girl from any embarrassment. "For now anyways." Damn that Sakura and betraying her like that.

"Sakura, don't encourage her," Tenten muttered, shaking her head at the two girls from behind her cocoa. This got a giggle from Hinata, who seemed to recover from the Naruto talks. "We should be figuring out when we can do the haunted house. We all need to be off at the same time, which we all know doesn't happen often."

"W-Well, what about Saturday? I-I think the latest any of us is off is eight. That should be plenty of time," Hinata interjected, playing with her fingers. This brought a smile to Tenten's face. Hinata really was as smart as they all originally thought.

"Brilliant! I'm going to message everyone!" Ino exclaimed before opening her phone. It took a few minutes but then the other girls' phones went off in sync. Why were they included in the group message? They were standing right here.

There were a few 'we'll be there' from Kiba and Lee, well Lee's was more or less 'a youthful celebration for Naruto!' while Kiba said the former sentence. Tenten resisted the urge to face palm as she looked at her phone. Some people said they had to work but Ino clearly had a way around this. A bonfire was going to be held afterwards with drinking and just laughs with friends. Sasuke offered up his place quickly. Anything to piss off his neighbors, apparently.

Things were set and Naruto was so excited but not saying much. Tenten could only assume he was honored to have so many people care about him, even if the bonfire just seemed like a reason to have a party. It had been a long time since they all had gotten together like this and it was the first time with the Hyugas. While Tenten didn't care if Neji was there or not, she was happy to see the smaller girl was going to join them.

"Dibs on being the DJ." Tenten sent back, a smirk on her face as she read Kiba's annoyed messages. This would be a lot of fun.

* * *

The days following had made everyone at work unsatisfied. When Saturday finally came and Tenten was cheerful during a morning shift, which never happened, she had to explain to some of her other coworkers that she was in fact okay. They all had thought she had too much caffeine but she was mostly excited. It didn't help when Sakura came in at eleven and her excitement was on the same level.

This was why Tenten and Sakura both preferred night shifts. Their coworkers didn't seem to be terrified of the two when they were in a good mood. As much as they had been excited for the night to come, the two fell into a normal routine. Sakura was on her headset in the front window, making all of her drinks and chatting with her aimlessly as Tenten ran the window. Those two were always in sync, hardly having to speak when working.

Having Sakura with her all day, it went by fast and before they both knew it they were walking outside of the building, waving at Hinata who was sitting with Kiba at a picnic table. Seeing as she was still new, Hinata didn't get nearly as many hours as the other girls did, which made Tenten joke with her about 'who she had to kill for her schedule'.

"Aw, Hinata, you look so cute with Toto over there," Tenten nodded at the two, laughing at the blank look on Kiba's face. He always reminded her of a dog, but it didn't help that he had about ten dogs at home. Wolfish mannerism would be picked up after a while in that house.

"Hilarious, bunhead, seriously. We were waiting for you two to get off. Now if you're done messing around with Ronald McDonald, I would love some help taking things over to Sasuke's for tonight." He pointed over his shoulder at his car, which was packed to the brim with things for the party.

Sakura groaned and hid her head on Tenten's shoulder, shaking her head. "What? We don't even get to go home and shower?"

"Sakura's right, call some of the guys to help you. Some of us feel like we rolled around in a grease pit all day." Tenten finished off for Sakura, patting the pink hair on top of her shoulder. "We were planning on heading to Sakura's to get ready. I'm going to sleep there tonight so I don't wake up anyone when I get home."

Kiba looked over at Hinata for a moment before gesturing to her. This had a delicate eyebrow raised on the brunette's face, meeting the eyes of a very nervous Hinata. "N-No one else will help us. I suppose we can set up ourselves." The indigo haired Hyuga seemed depressed by this, which made Tenten frown.

"Damn you, Kiba. You know I can't resist Hinata's adorable red face. You get us for one hour, no longer. Then Hinata comes with us," Tenten insisted, looping an arm with the girl. "We gotta make her look good for tonight, after all." This brought a giggle out of the shy girl as she looked down as she agreed.

"You have better pull with the ladies than I do. No wonder you've never had a boyfriend," Kiba winked at her before looking her up and down. Realizing how both girls were connected to the older girl, Tenten's eye twitched.

"Fuck off, Inuzuka," Tenten shook her free fist at the boy, who howled with laughter.

* * *

"I still can't believe Kiba thinks I'm a lesbian," Tenten muttered as she landed down on Sakura's bed an hour later. Hinata seemed concerned as there was almost an angry glow coming off the girl on the bed. "Not that there's anything wrong with it, by any means. It's not my fault you two are just adorable. Is it because I never hit on him. Oh, I'll hit on him now, but just not the way he wants."

She was ranting, Sakura having left them to get a shower before Tenten followed suit. Hinata was doing her best to calm the clearly angry girl down. "He was just poking fun. Kiba does that," she said, for once, confident in herself. "Just ignore him, he means well."

Almost instantly, Tenten beamed at the girl's words, nodding her head. "You're right. See, this is why you're my favorite Hyuga!"

Hinata let out a soft laugh as Tenten hugged the girl, suddenly feeling better. "Come on, Sakura! Hurry the hell up, we don't have much time left!"

A few hours later, they had all gone to the haunted house. It had been an interesting sight to say the least. By the second room, Ino had hit Shikamaru over the head several times as the boy tried to fall asleep. Sakura and Tenten had been clinging together the entire time, screaming then laughing when they were scared. Hinata, on the other hand, was cowering behind Neji, who was trying to keep Lee from attacking someone who scared Sakura one too many times. Naruto and Sasuke had been fighting each other to the front, that's when Kiba happened to sneak in from behind and take the lead. For the few that actually got to come, it was a lot of fun.

Now, they had retired to the Uchiha homestead, a fire roaring as music played in the background. Tenten was sitting closest to the speaker, sipping on a drink as her friends chatted amongst themselves. Sakura and Ino were dancing together, laughing against the sound of the beat.

"I thought you were going to hurt someone for a moment there," a voice said from above her, which made Tenten look up from her place on the dead log. Neji was hovering over her, a drink in his hand.

"Hey you, I thought you were on Lee duty," Tenten spoke softly, nodding towards her friend who was trying to arm wrestle Naruto.

"He's fine on his own," Neji took a seat next to her, turning towards her to give his undivided attention. "You have to quit mothering him like that."

"Someone has to. That boy can get into too much trouble on his own."

"He's grown a lot over the years. Everyone changes, I thought you were the one who always claimed that."

"Better than claiming that you have a fixed destiny nothing can change," Tenten finally snapped back at him. Taking a large gulp of her drink, Tenten sighed before looking back at him. "I'm sorry, I know that was a cheap shot. I blame the alcohol."

"It's fine," Neji said softly, looking away from the girl to gaze at the fire. The silence began to take over as Tenten couldn't think of what to follow that up with. She had been doing so well with being nice to him, she had even stopped fighting with him when it came to giving her a ride home. So why did the hate all of a sudden come back? There was no excuse for it. She opened her mouth to apologize when a familiar beat came on.

Unlike herself, Tenten began to softly sing the beginning lyrics, surprised by how much it hit her right in the heart. "Can we get right back, to where we started from?" She sang softly before letting the song go on without her.

"Hey Tenten?" Neji finally inquired, looking over at her with that damn smirk on his face.

"Yeah?" She hummed at him, looking up at him in surprise. There was a soft chuckle from his lips before he continued to speak.

"Don't quit your day job." That earned him a punch square in the shoulder.

"Ass. What is with you boys today? First Kiba thinks I want in your cousin and Sakura's pants -" This got a questioning look from the male Hyuga. "Now you say I can't sing. I hate you guys."

Neji couldn't help the laugh as he offered to refill her drink. "Now you're trying to get me drunk. What would the elders say, Hyuga?" She was amused, leaning back to look at the stars after she handed her cup over to him. A few minutes later he came back with two drinks, handing a cup to her.

"All joking aside, are you having fun?" Tenten asked, tilting her head up at the boy. Everyone was wandering amongst themselves, Ino and Sakura were dancing with one another while Naruto was trying to get Hinata to eat a marshmallow.

"Parties aren't really my scene," Neji said simply, sounding far away. Tenten had to admit, Neji being here wasn't something she expected. Yet, he had been trying to be as friendly as the boy could manage. At work everyone would talk to him and she swore she heard him laughing the other day. That might have been after Naruto threw a handful of pickles at the Uchiha. The green condiments were stuck in his hair the rest of the shift and it had been hard not to laugh everytime he walked by.

"I get it. They're not really my thing either. Then again, who knows when we'll be able to do this again. We all work such different shifts, our days off are scattered, that we might not have a time like this again." Tenten said wistfully, her eyes meeting the boy's. "I mean, Lee will be going off to college next year, I haven't decided what I'm doing yet. What about you?"

Neji looked over at her, surprised. They had been talking a little more and Tenten had opened up a few times during their car rides home. Other than that they had yet to have a simply normal conversation. "I still plan to join the military when I graduate." Neji spoke urgently, which Tenten had to look down at. When he first had decided that it would be his course of action, Tenten didn't know how she felt. He wanted to make his life his own, but she wondered if he would actually go through with it.

"Your uncle doesn't mind? I mean, Hinata has told me that your uncle thinks of you as a son. He has no concern about it?" Tenten questioned from the rim of her cup, taking a small sip when she was finished talking.

"He has, but he also wants me to be happy." Neji said softly, looking over at the bunhaired girl. "Funny, considering three years ago I just wanted to do it to spite him."

Tenten gave him a weak smile and nodded her head. She understood better than anyone what he meant. There were plenty of times he would sneak to her house when they were close friends, hiding from his uncle's wrath. It always started over his actions towards Hinata, who Tenten couldn't imagine anyone being vengeful towards, and ended with his uncle punishing him. They never got into details as to what those 'punishments' entitled, but Tenten knew by the time he shook once, it couldn't be good. "You talked about it for years. I'm sure it's what you're meant to do."

"I figure I'll serve for a while and then go to school." Neji said simply, not giving up his education for anything. He just decided to put it on hold for a while. Tenten let her hand fall on his, shyly looking up at him, before nodding.

"You could be me. I only have working at McDonalds for the rest of my life as a realistic future," Tenten laughed, nudging his shoulder with hers. There was another lull in conversation, but it wasn't a bad one. It was one she could get used to again. "I'm still sorry, by the way," Tenten said softly, not meeting his eyes now. "For everything that happened. Lee has explained it multiple times, I was an ass. I am an ass, but I'm working on it."

Neji looked at her, his eyes smiling at her as he shrugged. "I should have explained better back then. I think a lot of misconceptions were made. We can only move forward from here. I don't mind figuring it out if you don't."

Making a brave move, Tenten intertwined their fingers, her sun-kissed ones looking darker against the stark white of his skin. "We'll see how it goes," she said softly before squeezing his hand and removing it. As she went to go dance to her music with the girls, she gave him one last glance and couldn't help but miss the way his warm hand felt against hers.

The night was dwindling down after several hours. Ino had long since stopped dancing with the two girls and was asleep with her head on Shikamaru's shoulder. She always was a lightweight, Tenten mused as she stared at the girl. Sakura had since started pouting because Sasuke was 'never going to love her', Tenten knew she was the emotional drunk.

Hinata had to be the most surprising, she was the obnoxious drunk. The stutter had calmed down for the night and she was on her third consecutive game of beer pong, facing Naruto and Sasuke, with Kiba playing beside her. Tenten could see the Hyuga heiress passing out by the end of the night. She wished she would have brought her camera. Her phone would have to do for blackmail later.

For now, Tenten was bored and had a bit of alcohol making a path through her. She had nothing better to do so next thing she knew she was sitting next to Neji, her legs on either side of the log and was poking his cheek. The boy was glaring down at her, which could intimidate anyone, but Tenten was more amused than anything else. "Ne-ji!" She spoke clearly, looking up at him with an innocent smile. "The fire is dying. Fix it."

The boy shook his head before getting up and poking at the fire with the designated stick. Within a few moments it was built back up and Tenten was happy. She let her head fall on his shoulder when he came back over, staring at the flames dancing in the wind. "Better?" He asked looking down at her. The tone in his voice was strained.

"Perfect, thank you! Lee banned me from playing with the fire," Tenten looked up for a moment before hiding her face in his arm. "He's mean when sober."

"You almost caught Ino's ponytail on fire," Neji pointed out and she could feel his smirk without even looking up at him. Giving him a small pout, she took a drink from her cup and sighed. "I think you've more than enough." He took the drink from her hand and put it on his other side. "Where are you staying tonight? I know you weren't planning on going home."

"With Sakura, but she's busy shoving Sasuke around the yard," Tenten pointed, literally, out to Neji. Sakura was using her inhumane strength to shove Sasuke away from the table and scream at him. She couldn't make out exactly what he was saying, but it didn't look that great.

"Come on, Tenten. You'll stay at the manor. I need to get Hinata home anyways," Neji stood up, offering his hand to the girl next to him. Grabbing his hand, Tenten straightened her legs and stood shakily.

"Wait, you can't drive. You've been drinking!" Tenten poked his nose, prepared to steal his keys if necessary.

"I've been drinking water all night. I have to make sure Hinata gets home safely as well. Might as well make sure you get home." Neji steadied her before he walked towards the beer pong table. "Hinata, enough. It's time to go. We have to make sure to get you home before morning." Hinata didn't seem excited to go, but she nodded and followed Neji to his car, not before bidding everyone goodnight.

"Sakura! I'm going to the Hyugas. I'm gonna have a sleepover with Hinata," Tenten called to the girl, who barely registered it before nodding and hitting Sasuke for the third time. Once they got to Neji's car, Hinata was perched in the backseat, laying on her back. "Oh, I think someone's world is starting to spin. I hope she doesn't throw up."

"She better not or I will blame Uzumaki for this," Neji muttered from the driver side, putting the car in gear as they pulled out of the drive.

* * *

The ride was only about five minutes long before they were parked outside the Hyuga Manor.

The manor was something that Tenten knew like the back of her hand. She had a lot of time here when they were growing up, finding the house like a palace compared to her home. Yet, the warmth she found at home, would never be in this homestead. Looking at it now, Tenten understood why Neji preferred to go somewhere but this place.

"Wait here, I'm going to take Hinata to her room," Neji slipped out of the car and had Hinata, who had fallen asleep on the way home. It took him about ten minutes to come back and Tenten was leaning against the glass of his window. When he reappeared, Tenten almost screamed in surprise. He opened the door and helped her out of the car before leading her inside and towards his room.

She had been in his room before, it wasn't anything special. It had barely changed over the years. The walls were still a crisp dark brown, which contrasted off the white carpet. It was clean and smelled like his cologne. Tenten could remember studying in this room, hiding away from the prying eyes of the Hyuga clan.

"You can sleep on the bed," Neji spoke quietly, handing her a shirt and some shorts. Tenten took them and blushed before heading to the adjoining bathroom and changing. The clothes were big on her, which was to be expected as she made her way into the room.

She skipped over to the bed and jumped on it, grinning up at the boy in front of her. Grabbing his hand, Tenten tugged him forward, making him fall down on the bed. The alcohol wasn't as strong, sobering up on the ride back, but she was feeling a little more comfortable. "Your bed is huge, you can sleep on it too. McHell will kill me if you throw out your back sleeping on the floor."

Neji knew fighting with her wouldn't end well, so he nodded his head and looked away from her, keeping space between the two. Tenten frowned and poked his cheek, tilting her head. He raised his perfect sculpted eyebrow at her, which made her feel flustered. "Your room hasn't changed," she said softly, looking at the walls. "It's very you."

"Thanks," he said softly, unsure if she was even making sense at this point. "You should get some sleep."

"I don't want to sleep. I finally feel comfortable, I want to talk to you." Tenten moved closer to him, breathing in his scent. Why had she been so negative towards him? Looking at him now, she realized that she was wrong. That this boy never did anything but care for her and Lee. "I'm sorry," she said softly once more, tears coming to her eyes. Tenten refused to cry, not in front of him. That would hit hard to her pride. "You should hate me, I would hate him. I was so wrong, very wrong."

Neji shook his head at her as he rubbed her cheek, pushing the one tear that escaped away. Before he could even process what was going on, Tenten had gripped the back of his head and pulled his lips to hers. It was almost instantaneous as he responded to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back towards her as she fell back to his bed. His hands were on her waist as her fingers laced through his long hair. All the tension between the two seemed to disappear as they continued to fuse together.

That was until Neji pulled away suddenly. Tenten shot up as he backed away from her, realizing what was going on. "We can't do this, Tenten," he said softly, pulling the blanket over her body. She found herself wondering what she did wrong. It wasn't like they hadn't kissed before, even if it was a long time ago. "You need to sleep," he repeated and she fell back on the bed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again as she closed her eyes to try and fade away from him. She was embarrassed and couldn't figure out how to fix it.

He didn't say anything else, but as she drifted off to sleep, Tenten felt the feeling of his lips on her forehead willing her apologies away.


End file.
